Apparatus for conditioning material



Aug. 12, 1952 H. B. .FOULDER ET AL APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING MATERIAL Filed June 22, 1949 WET BULB THERMOSTA m BULB 37 INVENTORS- H a h r ov/der- Geo Millspauyh fl TTURNEY Patented Aug. 12, 1952 APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING MATERIAL Henry B. Foulder and George Millspaugh, Darien, Conn assignors to The Industrial Dryer Corporation, Stamford, Conn.,

Connecticut a corporation of Application June 22, 1949, Serial No. 100,638

8 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for conditioning materi'aLand particularly to apparatus for conditioning material by the circulation of conditioned air-over or through the material.

In many industries, it is desirable to subject certain material to a conditioning process, such as heating or humidifying. A typical process is the .hu'midiiying or twistsetting of yarn, by which the yarn is prevented from kinking or tangling during subsequent operations such as knitting or weaving.

In such a conditioning process, it is common to place the material to be conditioned in a chamber, and to circulate through the chamber air which has been heated, humidified, or otherwise treated so as togive it some particular'characteristic to be imparted to the material.

Controls have previously been applied to such processes to regulate the time during which the heat, humidity or-othercondition is maintained. With the controls of the prior art, the termination. of a conditioning process of the type described has been accomplished by simply turning off the conditioner, for example, the heater or humidifier. After any such process which involves heat, it is necessary to cool the material after the process is terminated before the material can be conveniently handled. Such cooling has commonly been taken care of by opening the loading doors of the chamber. Such cooling operations, have been unsatisfactory in certain respects. For example, after a humidifying process, the rush of steam and vapor through the doors when they areopened is objectionable. Furthermore, if the cooling operation does not succeed in sufficiently reducing the moisture in the machine, then theremay be a considerable undesirable condensation of moisture on the next cold charge of material to be treated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide material conditioning apparatus of the type described including improved means for cooling the material upon termination of the conditioning process.

Another object is to. provide apparatus of the type described including improved means for controlling the cooling of the material.

Another object is to provide improved cooling and control means for conditioning apparatus of the type described in which the objectionable outrush of steam through the doors is eliminated.

Another object is to provide improved cooling means in which the moisture remaining in the apparatus is substantially reduced during 11% cooling cycle, so as to reduce any tendency toward condensation on the next charge of fresh material.

Another object is to provide material conditioning apparatus including several conditioning devices such as a heater, a humidifier and air circulating means, and improved meansgfor providing a flexible control of the several conditioning devices.

The foregoing, and other objects of theinvention are attained in the apparatus described in detail below. The apparatus employs. certain conventional elements including-a material conditioning chamber, an air conditioning chamber, suitable air passages i'conne'cting the two chambers and providing a closed air circulation system, a fan for circulating air through the two chambers, a dry heater and a humidifyingheater in the air conditioning chamber and dry bulb and wet bulb thermostats for controlling the dry heater and the humidifying heater, respectively.

In addition to the conventional elements, the apparatus includes an improved fresh airclrculating system and improved means, for controlling the fresh air circulation and other conditioning devices.

The improved fresh air circulating system includes a fresh air intake conduit opening into one side of the material conditioning chamber opposite the fan, which is arranged to. draw air from the chamber. An exhaust conduit leads from theair conditioning chamber at a point near the exhaust side of the fan. Dampers in the intake and exhaust conduits are provided with a common'operating mechanism so that they open and close simultaneously. When the two dampers are closed, all the air is recirculated and when both are open, fresh air is mixed with the recirculated air.

The improved control apparatus includes two timers. One timer controls the dampers and the humidifier, whereas the other timer, which is hereinafter referred to as the master timer, controls the fan, the heater and also determines whether the first-mentioned timer is in control of the humidifier and the'dampers. This arrangement provides a very flexible control of all the conditioning devices, as described more completely below.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic cross-sectional view of one form of material conditioning apparatus embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2is adetai-l view, taken along the-line-2 -2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an electrical wiring diagram of the various conditioning devices shown in Fig. 1 and the electrical circuits by which they are controlled.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a material conditioner including outer walls l supporting an outer roof l2, and the two inner walls l3 supporting an inner roof I 4. The inner walls l3 and the roof l4 enclose a conditioning chamber IS, in which the material to be conditioned is inserted, for example, on racks or trays.

The space between the inner walls l3 and the outer walls Ill, together with the space between the inner roof l4 and. the outer roof l2, forms an air conditioning chamber, generally indicated by the reference numeral l6. The chamber It has mounted therein a dry heater l1 and .a humidifier l8, which may be of any well known construction.

For example, the heater 11 may be a steam coil controlled by a suitable electrical valve. Humidifier I8 may be a similar steam coil submerged in a tank of water.

A fan I9 is located adjacent a central opening 20 in the right hand wall of chamber l5. The left hand wall of chamber I is provided with a series of horizontal openings 2| separated by baffles 22. When the fan I9 is operating, it draws air from the chamber l5 and forces it through the chamber |6, past the heater l1 and the humdifier l8, and back through the openings 2| between baffles 22 to the chamber l5.

A fresh air intake duct 23 extends downwardly from above the roof |2 through the air conditioning chamber I6 and its lower end opens at the side of the chamber l5 opposite the fan l9, between the two uppermost baflles 22.

'haust duct 24 extends upwardly from the roof |2.' The intake and exhaust ducts 23 and 24 are 7 provided with dampers 25 and 26, respectively.

An ex- These dampers are illustrated as disks resting on the upper ends of the ducts 23 and 24. Movex'nent of'these disks is restricted by'cages 21 and 29 attached to the ducts.

The exhaust duct 24 is shown as terminating in the room just above the material conditioning unit. If the discharge of steam and vapor into the room is found objectionable, the exhaust duct may be readily extended to the outside of the building.

A shaft 28 extends between the ducts 23 and 24 and has its ends projecting inside the ducts. The shaft 28 is provided at its opposite ends with arms 29 and 36 which are effective upon rotation of shaft 28 to lift the disks 25 and 26, thereby opening the intake and exhaust ducts. The shaft 28 may be rotated by any suitable operating mechanism, illustrated somewhat diagrammatical y as a solenoid 3| connected by a link 32 to a suitable arm on the shaft 28.

When the dampers are opened, fresh air can flow freely through the intake duct 23 and the chamber l5. Some of the air then flowing through chamber I5 is discharged through the exhaust duct 24 and some is recirculated through the conditioning chamber I6.

The intake duct structure shown subjects the outlet end of that duct to the direct suction of the fan l9 and thereby insures that when the dampers are open, a substantial proportion of the air circulated through the chamber [5 is fresh air. The discharge end of the intake duct is not subject to any turbulent flow of recirculated air. The proportion of fresh air and regrammatically the several conditioning devices including the heater l1, and the humidifier |8, the damper operator 3| and a motor 33 for driving the fan l9. Fig. 3 also shows several electrical control elements and circuits controlled by those elements for energizing the several conditioning devices. These electrical control elements include a master timer 34, another timer 35, a relay 36, a dry-bulb thermostat 3'! and a wet-bulb thermostat 38. The thermostat 3'! and the wet-bulb thermostat 38 include temperature sensitive elements located in the material conditioning chamber I5 or at any other suitable point where they are in contact with the air being circulated through that chamber.

The master timer 34 includes a movable contact 39, an operating knob 40 and an electric motor 4|. Its construction is such that when the knob 40 is in the normal or zero position, as shown in the drawing, the contact 39 is in its open position, shown in full lines in the drawing. When the knob 4|] is moved away from its zero position, contact 39 is moved into its dotted line position, where it engages a stationary contact 42. This completes a circuit for the timer motor 4|, which may be traced from one electrical energy supply line 43 through a fuse 44, motor 4|, stationary contact 42, movable contact 39 and thence through another fuse 45 to the other supply line 46. Timer motor 4| drives the knob 40 back towards its zero position at a fixed rate of speed. In the usual arrangement, the electrical energy supply is alternating current and the motor 4| is synchronous, so that it drives the knob 40 at a speed determined by the frequency of the alternating current. When the knob 48 reaches its zero position, the contact 39 is again moved away from stationary contact 42.

Hence, the timer 34 causes the contacts 3942 to remain closed for a length of time depending upon the distance through which the knob 46 is moved away from its zero position.

When contact 39 engages contact 42, it also completes a circuit for the winding of relay 36, which is connected in parallel with the timer motor 4|. Relay 36 thereupon closes its contacts 41, 48 and 49, Contacts 41 and 48 complete an obvious energizing circuit for fan motor 33.

Contact 49 in closing completes a circuit for the damper operator 3|. This circuit may be traced from line 43 through fuse 44, wires 56 and 5|, damper operator 3|, contacts 52 and 53 of timer 35, contact 49 of relay 36, contacts 42 and 39 of timer 34 and thence through fuse 45 to the other supply line 46. The damper operator 3| is so constructed that the dampers are opened when the operator is energized.

Contact 49 in closing also completes an energizing circuit for a white signal lamp 56, which indicates to the operator that the fan is running.

- This circuit may be traced from supply line 43 sid and thedamper' operator 3! to openrthein- .takenand exhaust dampers, and also lights the signal lamp. 5-5.

'The timer 35 includes a timer. motor 5& and aknob' iifi, which corresponds "generally to the *motor' i'i andaknobfl in the timer 34. The-motor 5.4 and knob-55 control contact 53 in a manner similarrto"the'control o'f'contact 39 in timer 3d, which was previously described.

When knob Gil of timer 34 is away from its normal::position and knob 55. of timer 35. is moved away from its normal position, contact 53v is .movedaway from its normal position in engagement with contact '52 to a position shownin dotted: lines in "the drawing, where it engages.- contact 5-7. This-interruptsfthe circuit forldamper operator 3!, so that the. dampers close. At the same. time, a circuit is completed for'the: timer motor Stand a circuit is completed for humidifier it, which places it under the control. of wetbulb thermostat 38. This latter circuit may be traced from supply line 43 through fuse 44, wire 58,. humidifier i8, wet-bulb thermostat 38, contacts. 5's and 53, contact d9, contacts 4.2 and 39 and thence through iuse'fid to supply line 46. Thewet-bulb thermostat 38 controls the humidifier it so that the latter is operated Whenever the wet-bulb temperature of the air is less than the value for which the thermostat 38 is set. A blue signal lamp 58 is connected in parallel with the humidifier it and whenilluininated,indicates to the: operator that the humidifier i operating.

The circuit for the heater I! may be traced from"supply line 23 through fuse M, wire '58], heater il, thermostat 31 and a manually operable switch Sacontact 6920f relay 3%, contacts 42 and Strand thence through iuse' i'fi to the opposite supply line it.

When theswitch 59 is closed and knob ii) of timert'e ismcved away from its zero position, then heater H is placed under the control of thermostat 5'4. When switch 59 is open, heater trdoes not operate. A red signal lamp 60 is connected in parallel with heater I! to indicate when it is operating. 7

A manual switch so is provided to shunt contacts t9 and c2, 'so that the 'severa1 conditioning devices may be operatedv independently of the timer 34, if desired.

The control system described is capable of many different modes of operation. For-example, the. fan i 5. may be operated Without turning on either the humidifier it! or the heater fi. This may' befldone by opening the switch 59 and leavingicnob 55 o'ftimer 35 on its zero position, while moving knob it Of' Gi-Il'lEi" 3'4 away from its zero position.

The fan i9 and the humidifier 18 may be opera'ted without the heater I! by opening the switch 59- and'turning on both timers 34 and 35. If it is desired to-have a humidifying period 'followed. by a drying period, then timer 35 is set for the length of the humidiiying period and timertt is set for the sum of the humidifying period and drying period.

At'the end of the humidifying period, contact 53 of timer 35 movesaway from stationary contact E1. to terminate operation of humidifier i8, and engages stationary contact 52 to energize -the damper operator 3i and start the fresh air cooling phase of theeperation.

Heater ll, humidifier l8 and fan [9 may all be used by closing the switch 559 and turning on both timers. Other modes of operation are also possible.

prising a first chamber for material to be conditioned, a. second chamber, means in said second chamber for varying 'a condition of the air therein, means providing an enclosed continuously op'enpath for recirculating air through. said chambers, a fan located. at one side of said first chamberfor drawing air therefrom and discharging? it into said second chamber, a fresh air intake conduit terminating. at the side of said first chamber opposite said fan, said path including an aperture in said opposite side of said first chamberadjacent'the end of said intake conduit, a discharge conduit leading from said path adjacent. the circulatingmeans at the discharge side of the fan to the outside of said enclosed path, dampers in said intake and discharge conduits, means located. in said enclosed path and responsive to said condition of the air therein, common operating means for opening and clos ing' said dampers simultaneously, a control element cperatively'connected to said damper opcrating means and. said condition varying means controlling the same, said element being movable between anormal position in which said 'dampers are open and said condition varying means. is ineffective and an active position i in which said dampers are closed and said condition responsive means controls said condition varying means to establish a predetermined value oi-said condition, and means ineluding a timer for operating said element, said timer -bei-ng eiiective after movement of said element to its-active position to return said element to itsnormal position upon expiration of a preselected time.

'2'. Apparatus for conditioning material, comprising a first chamber for material to he conditioned, a second chamber, means in said second chamber for varying acondition of the air therein, means providing an enclosed continuously open path for recirculating air through said chambers, a 'fan'located atone side of said first chamber for drawing air therefrom and discharging it into said second chamber, a fresh air intalre conduit terminating at the side of said first chamber-opposite said fan, said path including an ap'erturein said opposite side of said first chamber adjacent the end of said intake conduit, a discharge conduit leading from said path adjacent the discharge side of the fan to the outside of said enclosed path, dampers in said intake and discharge conduits, means located in said enclosed path and responsive to said condition of the air therein, common operating means for opening and closing said dampers simultaneously, a-first control element operatively connected to said damper operating means and said condition varying means for controlling the same, said element'being movable between a normal position in-Which said dampers are open and said condition varying means is ineffective and an active position in which said dampers are closed and said condition responsive means controls said condition varying means to establish a predetermined value of said condition, and means including a timer for operating said element, said timer being efiective after movement of said element to its active position to return said element to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time, a master control element operatively connected to said fan, said damper operating means, said first control element and said condition varying means, said master control element being movable between a normal position in which said fan, said first control element and said condition varying means are ineffective and said dampers are closed and an active position in which said fan is operating and said first control element is in control of said damper operating means and said condition varying means, and means including a second timer for operating said master control element, said second timer being effective after movement of said master control element to its active position to return said master control element to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time.

3. Apparatus for conditioning material, comprising a first chamber for material to be conditioned, a second chamber, means in said second chamber for varying a condition of the air therein, means providing an enclosed continuously open path for recirculating air through said chambers, a fan for propelling air along said path, a fresh air intake conduit emptying into said first chamber, a discharge conduit leading from said second chamber to a point outside said chambers and said enclosed path, dampers in said intake and discharge conduits, means located in said enclosed path and responsive to said condition of the air, common operating means for opening and closing said dampers simultaneously, a control element operatively connected to said damper operating means and said condition varying means, said element being movable between a normal position in which said dampers are open and said condition varying means is ineffective and an active position in which said dampers are closed and said condition responsive means controls said condition varying means to establish a predetermined value of said condition, and means including a timer for operating said element, said timer being effective after movement of said element to its active position to return the element to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time.

4. Apparatus for conditioning material, comprising a first chamber for material to be conditioned, a second chamber, means in said second chamber for varying a condition of the air therein, means providing an enclosed continuously open path for recirculating air through said chambers, a fan for propelling air along said path, a fresh air intake conduit emptying into said first chamber, a discharge conduit leading from said second chamber to a point outside said chambers and said enclosed path, dampers in said intake and discharge conduits, means located in said enclosed path and responsive to said condition of the air, common operating means for opening and closing said dampers simultaneously, a first control element operatively connected to said damper operating means and said condition varying means, said first control element being movable between a normal position in which said dampers are open and said condition varying means is inefiective and an active position in which said dampers are closed and said condition responsive means controls said condition varying means to establish a predetermined value of said condition, means including a first timer for operating said first control element, said timer being effective after movement of said control element to its active position to return said control element to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time, a master control element operatively connected to said fan, said damper operating means, said first control element and said condition varying means, said master control element being movable between a normal position in which said fan, said first control element and said condition varying means are ineffective and said dampers are closed and an active position in which said fan is operating and said first control element is in control of said damper operating means and said condition varying means, and means including a second timer for operating said master control element. said second timer being effective after movement of said master control element to its active position to return it to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time.

5. Apparatus for conditioning material, comprising a first chamber for material to be conditioned, a second chamber, means in said second chamber for humidifying the air therein, means providing an enclosed continuously open path for recirculating air through said chambers, a fan for propelling air along said path, a fresh air intake conduit emptying into said first chamber, a discharge conduit leading from said second chamber to a point outside said chambers and said enclosed path, dampers in said intake and discharge conduits, a wet-bulb thermostat located in said air path and responsive to the wetbulb temperature of the air being circulated, common operating means for opening and closing said dampers simultaneously, a control element operatively connected to said damper operating means and said humidifying means, said control element being movable between a normal position in which said dampers are open and said humidifying means is inefiective and an active position in which said dampers are closed and said wetbulb thermostat controls said humidifying means to establish a predetermined wet-bulb temperature of the circulated air, and means including a timer for operating said control element, said timer being eiiective after movement of said control element to its active position to return it to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time.

6. Apparatus for conditioning material, comprising a first chamber for material to be conditioned, a second chamber, a humidifier in said second chamber, a heater in said second chamber, means providing an enclosed continuously open path for recirculating air through said chambers, a fan for propelling air along said path, a fresh air intake conduit emptying into said first chamher, a discharge conduit leading from said second chamber to a point outside said chambers and said enclosed path, dampers in said intake and discharge conduits, a wet-bulb thermostat located in said enclosed path and responsive to the wet-bulb temperature of the circulated air, a dry-bulb thermostat located in said enclosed path and responsive to the dry-bulb temperature of the circulated air, common operating means for opening and closing said dampers simultaneously, a first control element operatively connected to said damper operating means and said humidifier, said first control element being movable between a normal position in which said dampers are open and said humidifier is ineffective and an active position in which said dampers are closed and said wet-bulb thermostat controls said humidifier to establish a predetermined wet-bulb temperature of the circulated air, means including a first timer for operating said control element, said first timer being effective after movement of said first element to its active position to return it to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time, a master control element operatively connected to said fan, said damper operating means, said first control element, said humidifier and said heater, said master control element being movable between a normal position in which said fan, said first control element, said humidifier and said heater are ineffective and said dampers are closed and an active position in which said fan is operating, said dry-bulb thermostat is in control of said heater and said first control element is in control of said damper operating means and said humidifier, and means including a second timer for operating said master control element, said timer being efiective after movement of said master control element to its active position to return it to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time.

7. Apparatus for conditioning material, comprising a first chamber for material to be conditioned, a second chamber, means in said second chamber for varying a condition of the air therein, means providing an enclosed continuously open path for circulating air through said chambers, a fan for propelling air along said path, a fresh air intake conduit emptying into said first chamber, a discharge conduit leading from said second chamber to a point outside said chambers and said enclosed path, dampers in said intake and discharge conduits, means located in said enclosed path and responsive to said condition of the air, common electric operating means for opening and closing said dampers simultaneously, a movable electric contact operatively connected to said damper operating means and said condition varying means, said contact being movable between a normal position in which said dampers are open and said condition varying means is inefiective and an active position in which said dampers are closed and said condition responsive means controls said condition varying means to establish a predetermined value of said condition, manually operable means for moving said contact from its normal position to its active position, and a timer operatively connected to said contact and efi'ective after movement of the contact to its active position to return it to is normal position upon expiration of a preselected time.

8. Apparatus for conditioning material, comprising a first chamber for material to be conditioned, a second chamber, means in said second chamber for varying a condition of the air there- 10 in, means providing an enclosed continuously open path for circulating air through said chambers, a fan for propelling air along said path, a fresh air intake conduit emptying into said first chamber, a discharge conduit leading from said second chamber to a point outside said chambers and said enclosed path, dampers in said intake and discharge conduits, means located in said enclosed path and responsive to said condition of the air, common electric operating means for opening and closing said dampers simultaneously, a first movable electric contact operatively connected to said damper operating means and said condition varying means, said first contact being movable between a normal position in which said dampers are open and said condition varying means is ineffective and an active position in which said dampers are closed and said condition responsive means controls said condition varying means to establish a predetermined value of said condition, means including a first timer for operating said first contact, said timer being effective after movement of the contact to its active position to return the contact to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time, an electric motor for driving said fan, a master electric contact operatively connected to said fan motor, said first contact and said condition varying means, said master contact being movable between a normal position in which the fan motor is deenergized, said first contact and said condition varying means are ineffective, and said dampers are closed and an active position in which said fan motor is energized and said first contact is in control of said damper operating means and said condition varying means, and means including a second timer for operating said master contact, said second timer being eifective after movement of said master contact to its active position to return it to its normal position upon expiration of a preselected time.

HENRY B. FOULDER. GEORGE MILLSPAUGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

